Chapter 33 - Page 2

everywhere, so that he might drop into
artful talk with those who had seen her last. Corp, accordingly, was not
surprised at his "How is Grizel?" now, and he answered, between two
spits, "She's fine; she gave me this."

It was one of the Painted Lady's silver candlesticks, and the doctor
asked sharply why Grizel had given it to him.

"She said because she liked me," Corp replied, wonderingly. "She brought
it to my auntie's door soon after I loused, and put it into my hand: ay,
and she had a blue shawl, and she telled me to give it to Gavinia,
because she liked her too."

"What else did she say?"

Corp tried to think. "I said, 'This cows, Grizel, but thank you
kindly,'" he answered, much pleased with his effort of memory, but the
doctor interrupted him rudely. "Nobody wants to hear what you said, you
dottrel; what more did she say?" And thus encouraged Corp remembered
that she had said she hoped he would not forget her. "What for should I
forget her when I see her ilka day?" he asked, and was probably about to
divulge that this was his reply to her, but without waiting for more,
McQueen turned his beast's head and drove to the entrance to the Double
Dykes. Here he alighted and hastened up the path on foot, but before he
reached the house he met Dite Deuchars taking his ease beneath a tree,
and Dite could tell him that Grizel was not at home. "But there's
somebody in Double Dykes," he said, "though I kenna wha could be there
unless it's the ghost of the Painted Lady hersel'. About an hour syne I
saw Grizel come out o' the house, carrying a bundle, but she hadna gone
many yards when she turned round and waved her hand to the east window.
I couldna see wha was at it, but there maun have been somebody, for
first the crittur waved to the window and next she kissed her hand to
it, and syne she went on a bit, and syne she ran back close to the
window and nodded and flung more kisses, and back and forrit she went a
curran times as if she could hardly tear hersel' awa'. 'Wha's that
you're so chief wi'?' I speired when she came by me at last, but she
just said, 'I won't tell you,' in her dour wy, and she hasna come back
yet."

Whom could she have been saying good-by to so demonstratively, and
whither had she gone? With a curiosity that for the moment took the
place of his uneasiness, McQueen proceeded to the house, the door of
which was shut but not locked. Two glances convinced him that there was
no one here, the kitchen was as he had seen it last, except that the
long mirror had been placed on a chair close to the east window. The
doctor went to the outside of the window, and looked in, he could see